One of the top actresses in Bollywood once, this star was criticised for kissing King (then Prince) Charles on his tour of India in 1981
In the 80s, there were a lot of actresses in Bollywood vying for that top spot. Established stars like Rekha and Hema Malini were seeing competition from younger generation of actresses such as Jayaprada and Sridevi. But among them was a name that made a niche for herself playing the girl next door and attaining stardom through non-glam roles. Yet, controversy did not evade her completely.
The Bollywood star who kissed King Charles
Padmini Kolhapure rose to fame as a child artiste, first singing in the chorus in some iconic songs, and then appearing as an actress too in films like Dreamgirl, Gehrayee, and Insaaf Ka Tarazu. In 1981, at the age of 15, Padmini graduated to lead roles and appeared in films like Woh Saat Din, Prem Rog, Vidhaata, and Suhagan, all of which were huge hits. In 1981, when she was just making her mark as a lead actress, she courted controversy when she planted a kiss on the cheek of King Charles III (then Prince Charles) of Great Britain, who was on a visit to India. The peck crested a great deal of buzz in the British media but Indian media downplayed it as an innocent, if ill-informed, gesture.
Padmini Kolhapure with Charles in 1981
When Padmini Kolhapure ran away from home
In 1986, while filming Aisa Pyar Kahan, Padmini met the film’s producer Pradeep ‘Tutu’ Sharma and the two fell in love. However, the actress recalled that her orthodox Maharashtrian family was against the match. Hence, Padmini decided to elope and get married. AAfter a brief courtship, the two tied the knot. Padmini gave birth to a son Priyank in 1990.
Where is Padmini Kolhapure now
After a brief gap to focsus on her family, Padmini returned to acting in the 2000s with Marathi and Hindi films. In 2013, she made her TV debut with Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, and was seen in her first web series – Dil Bekaraar – in 2021.
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